More Than Guided Reading: Finding the Right Instructional Mix

by Cathy Mere

Is there too much emphasis on guided reading in primary classrooms? It's a question that many educators, like kindergarten teacher and literacy coach Cathy Mere, are starting to ask. Guided reading provides opportunities to teach students the strategies they need to learn how to read increasingly challenging texts, but Cathy found that she needed to find other ways to help students gain independence. While maintaining guided reading as an important piece of their reading program, teachers need to offer students opportunities during the day to develop as readers, to learn to choose books, to find favorite genres and authors, and to talk about their reading. In More Than Guided Reading, Cathy shares her journey as she moved from focusing on guided reading as the center of her reading program to placing children at the heart of literacy learning―not only providing more time for students to discover their reading lives, but also shaping instruction to meet the needs of the diverse learners in her classroom. By changing the structure of the day, Cathy found she was better able to adjust the support she was providing students, allowing time for whole-class focus lessons, conferences, and opportunities to share ideas, as well as reading from self-selected texts using the strategies, skills, and understandings acquired in reader's workshop. The focus lesson is the centerpiece of the workshop. It is often tied to a read-aloud and connected to learning from the previous day, helping to build skills, extend thinking, and develop independence over time. This thoroughly practical text offers numerous sample lessons, questions for conferences, and ideas for revamping guided reading groups. It will help teachers tweak the mix of instructional components in their reading workshops, and provoke school-wide conversations about the place of guided reading in a complete literacy curriculum.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Nicole C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for this book! After several years of rethinking the purpose and usefulness of guided reading in the classroom, finally someone has written a clear and concise argument against guided reading as the "be all end all" of the literacy classroom. It is all about balance and doing what is best for children. Guided reading isn't the answer, but rather a small part of literacy instruction that works for some children, not all. Children must be able to choose texts to read independently and be motivated to develop a true love of reading. Guided reading groups (determined by reading levels and taught with books that are often poorly written and have little to no substance) do not make lifelong readers!

[Laura Komos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathy's book is a MUST READ for anyone who works with young readers! Not only does she reference the research supporting what she's suggesting, but she also offers practical ideas that can be put into play immediately.

Because I've struggled in the past couple of years with how I'm "doing" guided reading, I truly felt this book was written just for me. It liberated, empowered, and inspired me to make the changes needed in my classroom!

[Carolyn Wojtera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos, Cathy! You wrote the book that presented the same questions we are asking at our school. As we move from a full guided reading model to a conferring model, this book will lend support to all of my colleagues. This book has questions, answers, and motivates you to reassess your thinking.

[Jessica Steffel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that convinced me to go beyond my guided reading first grade groups. With small adjustments, I transformed my teaching to teaching readers rather than reading!

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how this book was written, but the ideas did not sound new. She used many of the same ideas as "The Sisters" do in "The Daily Five" in her classroom.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written and a quick, easy read. No new information, however. A lot of the same ideas from The Sisters.